Area-Multiplied Photonic-crystal Enhanced Devices (AMPED)
DARPA is funding innovative research to develop chip-scale, highly efficient, single-mode diffraction-limited continuous-wave laser devices with much higher output power than current photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers.
⚑ Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) addendum available by request; follow Attachment A instructions. · Federal contract solicitation; eligibility is subject to procurement rules and any applicability restrictions in the full notice.
This is a pure photonics/laser hardware DARPA program in materials and chip-scale device engineering, with no social, behavioral, policy, risk-communication, or evaluation component that matches this team’s published lines. The team would not plausibly pursue this as PI-level research.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-07-07
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 45 partial | portfolio topics: national_security_defense, energy; social/behavioral work is none; funds applied research; capped at 45 (limited social-science role) |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals for the Area-Multiplied Photonic-crystal Enhanced Devices (AMPED) program. The goal of AMPED is to demonstrate single-mode, diffraction-limited, continuous-wave (CW), highly efficient laser devices capable of unprecedented output power in a chip-scale form factor. This represents orders-of-magnitude improvement over the current state of the art in single-mode photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL) devices. This solicitation includes a controlled unclassified information (CUI) Addendum that contains key technical details relevant to the program goals and objectives. Please see Attachment A of this PS for instructions on how to request the CUI Addendum.
Eligibility
Applicant restrictions (federal contract). Set-aside: . Notice type: Solicitation. Organization: DEPT OF DEFENSE / DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) / DEF ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGCY.
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